₦airaland Forum

Kegites Club at 50: National Headquarters begins one-year long activities to mark delayed event


The National Headquarters of the Kegites Club of Nigeria (KCN) has kickstarted its one-year-long celebration, to mark the 50th anniversary of the socio-cultural club, which was founded in 1971.

Speaking at an interactive session with the media, the incumbent head of the club, known as the AB National, Chief Omotunde Peter, who explained why the multiple-packaged event, which was supposed to have begun in December 2021, is starting late, said the delay was due to some challenges that faced the club.

He however thanked God that despite all the challenges, the programmes finally started last weekend with an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the club on Saturday December 3rd, 2022, followed by a World Press Conference on Sunday, December 4th, 2022.

The 400-level student of Economics, said the media chat was to intimate the public of many activities to come as part of the celebrations marking the club’s 50th anniversary while disproving the misconceptions about the club being for unserious people.

The AB National gave a rollcall of some members of the club that graduated with first-class degrees while insisting that members of the club are found at the top hierarchy of all professions in Nigeria and beyond.

He said: “We must celebrate how far we have come in the club. The Kegites Club clocked 50 since December last year but we couldn’t celebrate it because we were in the process of registering the club. Surviving for half of a century is not what every organisation can boast of. It is half a century of producing great minds in all strata of the society while promoting African Culture.”

On his part, the Chairman of the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee, Patron Lekan Osiade, gave reasons for the nearly 12 months delay of the event, explaining that the postponement was due to the process of renaming and registering the club.

Osiade noted that, but for the need to rejuvenate the club, the event would have commenced in 2021 as it was earlier billed to kickstart last year, to coincide with the exact anniversary date, noting that the Kegites Club was formed in 1971.

He said: “It would have started last year but the celebration was delayed because of some challenges we went through. We had to register and distinguish the club from the multifaceted replicas. Don’t forget there are other concepts of the club all over the place.

“But we have put that episode behind us now. We are now ready for a new chapter in the life of the Kegites Club, and that is beginning with this anniversary. We will be having our in-house programmes on a monthly basis, while our public programmes will be quarterly, till we have our grand finale,” he said.

When probed on the political affiliation of the club, the chairman said it is a socio-cultural club and is adhering strictly to its ethos of non-political and non-religious affiliation.

Osiade, who doubles as the Special Assistant on Information to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, said, though members are allowed to belong to political and religious organisations individually, the Kegites Club as a body remains neutral.

He therefore refused to be dragged into answering political questions, rather he advised all Nigerians of voting age to collect their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and vote the candidates that suit their purposes.

He said: “I can only advise you to ensure that you get your PVC and exercise your franchise. In the Kegites Club, we work in tandem with any government in power, we don’t canvass votes for any political party. In our club, we don’t discuss political parties or religion but we discuss good governance.

“Go and get your PVC so that you can vote for candidates of your choice as any decision taken at the polls will also affect you. The Kegites Club was founded to maintain African culture, tradition and values of Africa and this is necessary to correct the erroneous belief that Kegites is a cult group”.

According to Patron Osiade, who is a Life Senior Fellow (LSF) of the National Headquarters of the club, there are so many concerns in the club about the dwindling African culture and the need to bring back African values, while blending tradition with modernization and civility.

“There is a need to bring back our cultural and traditional values. By this, we don’t mean advocating for extremism in adhering to the culture. We are not encouraging some old barbaric practice, we are clamouring for the return of our moral and cultural values with a blend of civility and modernism to preserve our traditions”, he said.

A former head of the club and an associate professor at the University of Maiduguri, Chief Biodun Ojo, also spoke on the need to have the celebration notwithstanding the delay that previously bedeviled the event.

He also explained the difference between the University of Ibadan as the National Headquarters and the Obafemi Awolowo University, which is the World Headquarters of the club, explaining that the University of Ibadan remains the National Headquarters of the KCN and deals with issues pertaining to the members in Nigeria, being the highest authority in the club.

“We have a very good relationship with all other branches of the club in the West, North, East and even overseas. Kegites Club started at the University of Ibadan in 1971, while it is right that the Palm wine Drinkard Club had been founded in the Obafemi Awolowo University earlier, however, in 1986, they adopted our name which is the Kegites Club and our distinct features so it is clear,”

He further revealed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and a former President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere are members of the club, having joined in November 1976 during that year’s convocation ceremony of the University of Ibadan.

https://themomentng.com/2022/12/08/kegites-club-at-50-national-headquarters-begins-one-year-long-activities-to-mark-delayed-event/

FIRSTBANK DECEMBERISSAVYBE: If your December is not Vybing, you aren’t in December

Bolaji Israel

In Nigeria, the first day of December ushers in the advent of the festive season which runs through the month progressively till early January when businesses and official duties resume fully again.

December, in the world’s most populous black nation, is characterised, with fascinating scenery, by shops, streets, offices and homes getting decorated with twinkling lights and dazzling ornaments.

The month also welcomes religious festivities of Christmas, the biggest celebration for christians globally which takes place just a week before the New Year rolls in amidst celebration unmatched by any other from the rest of the year. The season is generally enveloped by festive concerts, feasts, celebrations, carnivals, musical shows, colourful decorations and family reunions.

For almost everyone, it’s a time to merry with friends and family, attend celebratory events, give and accept gifts, enjoy entertainment and feast together. December is such a big deal in Nigeria and the people know just how to savour the moments well. Interestingly, the celebration is not limited as it cuts across all classes and shades irrespective of social status, religion, personality or age – the rich, poor, young, old, cool and radicals. It’s usually a time everyone earnestly awaits for fun, merrymaking and relaxation, mentally and physically. In fact, to get ample time for merry making, employees in Nigeria push hard in offices to get annual leave approvals for the period.

Another key, exciting hallmark of the festive season is the homecoming visits of Nigerians who have travelled abroad for greener pastures, a trend popularly called ‘Japa’ in local parlance. It’s a common belief that the Nigerian spirit is a hustling one, and no distance is too large to scare a Nigerian from a potential source of income, be it the journey from the remotest village to Lagos, or from there to the farthest corners of the world. The December period thus presents an opportunity to reunite families.

The returnees constitute an essential ‘life of the party’ as they hit the country ready to visit places, mingle and bond, to the admiration and embrace of peers and family members. It’s always a great period for the returnees and their loved ones to create great memories, spending time, going round town for great entertainment and having fun together.

Their presence also commands attention and adds colour to village and town hall meetings, community projects and social gatherings, especially wedding parties, as well as other family functions deliberately fixed around the season to court the beloved presence of the “I just got backs” who bask endlessly in the euphoria.

First Bank of Nigeria Limited as a company with the mantra of being woven into the fabrics of society has continued to demonstrate its understanding of the uniqueness and essence of the festive season with its consistent support for same through the ‘December Is a vybe’ campaign.

Unfortunately, the Nigerian economy has struggled sluggishly for some time with attendant harsh impact on individual and household finances and sliding purchasing power. This gets worsened by the galloping inflation, increasing cost of living and the sky rocketing price of premium motor spirits (PMS) locally called petrol.

Yet, the average Nigerian craves for great fun and quality entertainment during the Yuletide season. So, the December festivities come as added weight with tickets as high as N70K for A-list musical acts like Asake, Kizz Daniel, Burna Boy, Davido, Wizkid and others.

To throw off the weight, the December Is a vybe campaign offers free VIP tickets from FirstBank to Nigerians for access to coveted A-list musical concerts, opera, comedy shows, stage plays, dance and other genres of entertainment throughout the festive season to assure maximum pleasure.

Folake Ani-Mumuney, FirstBank Global Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications said, the premier financial institution which has operated in Nigeria for over 125 years deliberately orchestrated the campaign to create platforms for Nigerians at home and those returning from abroad to enjoy entertainment, bond well and enjoy the best of the festive season together after a period of separation in pursuit of excellence and success.

“Through ‘December Is a vybe’, FirstBank has always brought Nigerians the best exciting, fun-filled, memorable experience in December with the sponsorship of concerts, creative arts; food Fiesta; fashion etc and it’s set again with a bang in 2022 ready to enable people relive the experience and live their dreams, ” she stated.

She noted that the 2022 edition offers fresh opportunities and platforms for yet another memorable Homecoming experience this December for Nigerians visiting from abroad; wedding celebrants; friends and family reunions. FirstBank ‘December Is a vybe’ offers the returnees a good opportunity to reunite and enjoy premium entertainment with family and friends.

She explained: “The programme has not slowed down since it kicked off. We supported Waka the Musical in 2017 which was also taken to Abuja in 2018. We gave Nigerians premium access to Davido show amongst others in 2017, Burna Boy in 2018, Future in 2019, Davido and Burna in 2021 and for 2022, we will start with VIP access to Kizz Daniel’s show, followed by many more.

The foremost banking giant has in recent years made December quite memorable. From the exciting Alternative Sound 4.0, held at Terra Culture on 5 December, 2019 to the memorable Cardi B live in Lagos by Livespot Concert on 7 December 2019 and the unforgettable “An Evening with FBNHoldings” held on 13 December, 2019 to the pleasure overload of Island Block Party at Oniru Lagos on 14 December, lucky customers and followers of the Bank’s social media handles were given free tickets to have loads of fun!

Also, in the bouquet of fun extravaganza was Teni – The Billionaire Experience musical concert held at Eko Hotel on Monday, 16 December 2019 which had many thrilled to the finest of tunes by the Billionaire crooner and other guest artistes present.

The annual Nativeland music festival at Muri Okunola Park was another fun spot which has since its inauguration in 2016, featured breathtaking performances by A-list artistes.

Youth and teenage fashionistas were not left out; as with Street Souk, they had a feel of current trends and creativity in the fashion industry. The event held on 18 December 2019. For those keen on getting the best and latest designs, wears and fabrics in fashion, the African Fashion Week Nigeria was another port of call. The event which held 20 – 21 December, 2019 attracted leading players in the fashion industry and deepened the fashion appetite and interest of participants.

Building into Christmas was Flytime Rhythm Unplugged, which started on 20 December at the Eko Hotel and Suites. The 5-day music festival had performances from leading artistes in the country. Olamide, Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, MI, Ycee, Patoranking, Mayorkun, Teni, Zlatan, Joeboy, Fireboy, B Red, Tolani, Jeff Akoh, Oluwadamilola thrilled fun lovers to the best of charts topping tunes not just in Nigeria but the continent. On the wheels of steel was DJ Neptune, DJ Consequence, DJ Obi, and DJ Cuppy.

Kizz Daniel’s Toro concert on 26 December 2019 and Tu Face’s musical show on 28 December built up to the wrap-up of the list of December events with Future, the American rap music sensational performance live in Lagos.

The Future Live in Concert held on 29 December 2019 at the Eko hotel. The 80s boy band, New Edition performance at the FlyTime Music Festival in Lagos was also electrifying with Burna Boy Live, Davido Live and many more in action!

For plays, the December Issavybe train featured sponsorships of Moremi and Oba Eshugbayi plays which focused on highlighted history of Lagos: the struggle over water tax imposed by the British on the people of Lagos and the expulsion of Oba Esugbayi, who stood against tax, to Abeokuta. The play was from the stable of Joseph Edgar of the iconic Duke of Shomolu Production.

Two lucky fans, Tina Ediale and Timilehin Anibaba, amongst others got to see their favourite star Davido Live in Concert; another winner, Azeez Animashaun couldn’t believe his luck when he got a VIP Rhythm Unplugged ticket while some got special treat watching ace actress Omotola Jalade Ekeinde as Esumirin in Moremi The Musical. Social media followers also scored invitation to parties including Island Block Party, All Black Everything; conferences Golas Grit Grind 2.0; festivals: Native Land, Palmwine Festival; and pop-up sales: Mente de Moda.”

For the 2022 campaign, FirstBank says it will start the festive season with VIP access to rave of the moment, Kizz Daniel’s show. Kizz is so loved right now and many Nigerians especially women can’t seem to get enough of his monster hit, Cough (Odoyewu). He also has many songs that will make his show a delight any day, including Buga, Lie, No Wahala, Oshe, Yeba, One Ticket, Woju, Laye, Jaho, Sofa and many others. With First Bank, December promises to be an awesome experience!

To participate, all that is required is to just follow FirstBank’s social media pages and updates on – Facebook: First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Instagram: @firstbanknigeria and from there get the tickets.

Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria’s president, has sacked Aliyu Abdulhameed, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Incentive-based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), over fraud allegations.

According to People’s Gazette, the president removed Mr Abdulhameed on Thursday afternoon and hauled him out of office shortly thereafter.

Mr Abdulhameed had allegedly been siphoning money from the establishment since he was appointed to office in 2015.

It was gathered that the search for his replacement had begun.

“His exotic official vehicles were all withdrawn from him. He left the office in a small Ford vehicle and was grandstanding that he would soon be back,” a source told the medium.

The Board of Ecobank Nigeria has announced the appointment of Carol Oyedeji as a Deputy Managing Director.  

The appointment of Mrs. Oyedeji, , has since been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). She joined Ecobank Nigeria in 2017 as Executive Director, Consumer Banking and subsequently oversaw the Commercial Banking Business.

Carol Oyedeji is a seasoned banker and corporate administrator with over 30 years’ experience. Before joining Ecobank, she was the Regional Head of Client Acquisition & Relationship for Africa and the Middle East at Standard Chartered Bank, where she covered Retail Distribution in 14 countries across the Region.

Carol was also at various times, Head of Business Banking for Standard Chartered Africa, Regional Head for Consumer Banking in West Africa, and Non-Executive Director at Standard Chartered Bank Gambia. She is a graduate of Chemistry from the University of Lagos and holds an MSc in Financial Management from the University of London and an MBA in Banking and Finance from the University of Lagos. She has attended several Leadership courses in Oxford University, INSEAD, Singapore, UCLA and Stanford University and is a member of various industry bodies.

In her comment, Chairman, Ecobank Nigeria, Bola Adesola said Carol’s appointment is in line with the Bank’s policy of ensuring participative leadership and building a pipeline of future leaders. She is optimistic that Carol’s wealth of experience would positively influence the goals and vision of the Pan African Bank.

Also commenting, Managing Director, Bolaji Lawal described Carol’s appointment as an acknowledgement of her hard work and dedication to the Ecobank brand. He believes that the appointment will also encourage and propel other diligent and result oriented professionals within the organisation to continue to drive sustainable growth for the Bank.

Ecobank Nigeria Ltd. is a subsidiary of the Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African banking group with operations in 33 African countries and an international presence in four locations (London, Paris, Beijing, and Dubai). Ecobank Nigeria is a full-service bank providing wholesale, retail, investment and transaction banking services and products to governments, financial institutions, multinationals, international organizations, medium, small, and micro businesses, and individuals.

Ecobank is a major player in the distribution of financial services in Nigeria, leveraging digital platforms including Ecobank Mobile App and USSD *326#, Ecobank Online, Ecobank OmniPlus, Ecobank Omnilite, EcobankPay, Ecobank RapidTransfer, ATMs, POSs and an extensive distribution network of over 250 branches and over 50,000 agency banking locations.

The Department of State Services has warned a woman who identified herself as the wife of one Shafiu Ibrahim to desist from misleading the public with fake news, hate speech, misleading narratives, and other instruments of disinformation against the Service to curry unnecessary public sympathy.

The woman, in a viral video, had claimed that her husband, who was linked to terrorism and arrested at Trademore Estate on October 24, 2022, was abducted by people who identified themselves as operatives of the DSS, alleging that the Kogi State Government, particularly the Governor of the state and his Chief of Staff, were behind his ordeal.

She had also claimed that despite being pregnant, the DSS personnel that broke into their house assaulted her and others on the said day.

Reacting to the allegations in a statement on Thursday, the Spokesperson for the Service, Peter Afunanya, said Aisha was either deliberately lying or playing to the gallery.

The DSS said, "She is either playing to the gallery or deliberately lying. It is not to my knowledge that she was denied access at the Agency’s gate. The DSS does not deny anyone access to its facility or suspects once the criteria for such access are met.

“There are processes/procedures in this regard. It is also very unfortunate that the lady is dragging the Service into the Kogi State local politics. She knows very well that the husband was not picked as a result of Kogi politics as she has desperately tried to link us with or make the public believe.

“Encourage her to desist from using fake news, hate speech, hostile activism, misleading narratives, and other instruments of disinformation against the Service or to curry unnecessary public sympathy.

“She knows her husband and the circumstances of his arrest which was procedurally done. And he was not the only person so arrested at the time he was.

“She should, please, stop the sensations and the mischief to drag us into Kogi politics.”

The second marriage of Folorunsho Coker, the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Company, (NTDC), to Aisha Rimi, has reportedly crashed like tokunbo engine.

Just when everyone thought Coker’s second marriage to Aisha Rimi, a member of Rimi Partners, an Abuja -based law firm specialising in corporate legal services, business advisory services and government relations, would outlast his first, it ended up making a dry run while it lasted.

Coker was first married to Folake Akindele-Coker, the boss of foremost fashion design label, Tiffany Amber. Folly Coker as he is fondly called, ended the marriage, which produced three children, abruptly. Still dazed by the manner with which her marriage ended, Folake retained her ex-husband’s name and still does to this day. While she is still single, Folly (as he is fondly called) moved on quickly and jumped into another marriage with Aisha. Aisha also used to be married to Lateef Bello Osagie, a sibling of Hakeem Bello Osagie, a former Chairman of United Bank of Africa (UBA). No sooner had her marriage to Lateef ended than she hooked up with Folly and married him. They resolved to give their second attempt at marriage their best shot and make their new ‘partnership’ work.


In fact, early in the marriage, Folly and his wife managed to keep the union together, but seeing that they could no longer continue to patch things up, they both finally decided they had had enough of each other.

What could have led to breakup of their marriage?

Pundits are however of the opinion that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission investigation of Aisha’s alleged involvement in the diversion of the sum of N3 billion from the account of Lagos State Government Number Plate Production Authority, when Folly was the managing director, was allegedly the beginning of the end of their marriage.

Recall that the EFCC in an affidavit had alleged that the investigation of the fraud was based on an intelligence received by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit of suspicious transactions on the account of Rimi and Partners.

According to the EFCC, there were “heavy inflows” in excess of N3 billion from LSGNPPA into the account of the company allegedly owned by Aisha Rimi, who is Coker’s then wife.
https://themomentng.com/2022/11/29/ntdc-boss-second-marriage-reportedly-crash-send-wife-aisha-rimi-packing/

The second marriage of Folorunsho Coker, the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Company, (NTDC), to Aisha Rimi, has reportedly crashed like tokunbo engine.

Just when everyone thought Coker’s second marriage to Aisha Rimi, a member of Rimi Partners, an Abuja -based law firm specialising in corporate legal services, business advisory services and government relations, would outlast his first, it ended up making a dry run while it lasted.

Coker was first married to Folake Akindele-Coker, the boss of foremost fashion design label, Tiffany Amber. Folly Coker as he is fondly called, ended the marriage, which produced three children, abruptly. Still dazed by the manner with which her marriage ended, Folake retained her ex-husband’s name and still does to this day. While she is still single, Folly (as he is fondly called) moved on quickly and jumped into another marriage with Aisha. Aisha also used to be married to Lateef Bello Osagie, a sibling of Hakeem Bello Osagie, a former Chairman of United Bank of Africa (UBA). No sooner had her marriage to Lateef ended than she hooked up with Folly and married him. They resolved to give their second attempt at marriage their best shot and make their new ‘partnership’ work.


In fact, early in the marriage, Folly and his wife managed to keep the union together, but seeing that they could no longer continue to patch things up, they both finally decided they had had enough of each other.

What could have led to breakup of their marriage?

Pundits are however of the opinion that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission investigation of Aisha’s alleged involvement in the diversion of the sum of N3 billion from the account of Lagos State Government Number Plate Production Authority, when Folly was the managing director, was allegedly the beginning of the end of their marriage.

Recall that the EFCC in an affidavit had alleged that the investigation of the fraud was based on an intelligence received by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit of suspicious transactions on the account of Rimi and Partners.

According to the EFCC, there were “heavy inflows” in excess of N3 billion from LSGNPPA into the account of the company allegedly owned by Aisha Rimi, who is Coker’s then wife.

…as Bishop Oyedepo battles bank over funds

Things have continued to fall apart for Heritage Bank Limited, owned by Nigerian banker, Mr. Ifie Sekibo, as the fortunes of the bank have continued to dwindle over liquidation issues, lack of proper management amidst financial improprieties.
Recall that Sekibo, who is the founder and pioneer managing director/CEO of the bank, had served out his 10-year tenure in September 2022. Customers, stakeholders and business analysts have however described Sekibo’s performance as poor and uninspiring as he failed to steer the bank out of troubled waters.
Many had wondered why Nigeria’s banking regulator, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has not wielded its hammer on the bank despite its troubled and distressed state. The questions on the lips of stakeholders is if the new helmsman, Akinola George-Taylor, could revive the moribund bank.
Fresh information has, however, revealed that Heritage Bank, which came into existence under a new name just a few years ago has continued to sink deeper while its customers have continued to lament over their inability to withdraw or transfer their deposits due to lack of funds.
Most notable amongst the customers is Living Faith Church Worldwide, popularly known as Winners Chapel owned by fiery preacher, Bishop David Oyedepo. This online newspaper reliably gathered that worried by recent negative developments in the bank, Bishop Oyedepo had directed that the entire funds of the church in the bank worth over N5 billion be moved to another bank. Surprisingly, for weeks now, Heritage Bank has not been able to implement the instruction for lack of funds.
“For over two weeks now, Bishop directed that the entire church money in Heritage Bank worth over N5 billion be moved to another bank, but Heritage Bank has failed to honour the instruction. After much gimmicks, two of the bank’s directors came begging that they don’t have enough funds. We knew that the bank is distressed and that was why we took the step,” a close source told our correspondent.
The source further disclosed that Bishop Oyedepo has threatened to write the CBN over the development if his request was not met before the end of the week.
Further digs reveal that apart from the issues of “Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) and the Liquidity Ratio (LR), the commercial bank is also grappling with many other crises that tend to threaten its survival. One of them is its poor services which are staring its customers in the face. Already, most of its branches are awash with complaints of unsatisfied customers whose singsong is their plans to close their accounts due to long hours they experience to get services from Heritage Bank staff.
Some of the staff who spoke on condition of anonymity told our correspondent that people are resigning every day because of uncertainties showing up in every of its departments.
“The remuneration of Heritage Bank is very poor. Our salaries have been drastically reduced in recent times with the management citing the poor economy while allowances have completely been discontinued,” the staff said.
On the other hand, Heritage Bank and its founder, Sekibo’s many battles with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged several undercutting and fraudulent dealings may also be the reason the institution is failing.
Recall that the EFCC had charged Sekibo and five others before a Lagos State high court in Ikeja for an alleged fraud of N1 billion. Sekibo was charged along with Dimire Dike, Wumi Adeniyi, Kolapo Daisi, Funmilayo Taiwo and Akeem Durotoye. The charges bordered, among others, on conspiracy, stealing, obtaining money under false pretenses and forgery.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants obtained the sum of N1bn from Heritage Bank Plc “by falsely re-presenting the sum as proceeds of Vlamings Professional Limited’s investment in Heritage Bank Plc.”
It accused them of dishonestly converting the N1bn, being Heritage Bank’s property, to their own. They were also accused of forging a document titled ‘RE: Expression of Interest in Agric Fund Management Scheme.”
According to the anti-graft agency, the defendants allegedly forged the document dated April 2, 2015, “purporting it to be a loan scheme executed in favour of Vlamings Professionals Limited.”
The EFCC claimed that the defendants sent the document to it (EFCC), hoping it would be mistaken as genuine.
They also allegedly forged another document titled, “Agric Management Scheme” purporting that it was approved by Heritage Bank Plc.
Similarly, in a separate allegation, the EFCC again charged Mr. Sekibo before another Federal High Court in Lagos for an alleged fraud of N605,321,051.05.
Joined with Sekibo in the charge sheet marked FHC/C/95C/18 was one Kolapo Kola Daisi and company, Greame Properties Limited.
Still grappling with the effects of these allegations, news broke again of Sekibo’s involvement in an alleged diversion of N13 billion belonging to the Oyo State government. According to reports credited to a source in the EFCC, the money was lodged in some secret accounts in the Heritage Bank in connivance with some top state government officials.
The money was said to have been deposited in a secret fixed account with an agreement to share the accrued interest among them.’
It was alleged that about N180 million was traced to Sekibo, while another N85 million was kept in a fixed deposit account on behalf of some top bank officials.
The troubles of Heritage Bank however escalated when it was discovered that a whopping $24.1 million (N9.399 billion) belonging to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) which was lodged with the bank was kept away from the then management of the maritime agency led by Hadiza Bala Usman. Even after the NPA opened discussions with the bank in a bid to recover its money, it was gathered that the management of Heritage Bank feigned ignorance of such lodgment, claiming rather that the money might have been an inherited liability from Enterprise Bank which it acquired recently.
Reports have it that Heritage Bank management, while admitting to hiding the sum, declared that should the money be moved from the bank, it would automatically lead to the collapse of the lender.
Similarly, the Special Presidential Investigation Panel (SPIP) for the Recovery of Public Property recently declared that it recovered seven million dollars (N2.1 billion at official rate) illegally kept in Heritage Bank.
Will Heritage Bank survive the CBN hammer? Time will tell.
Heritage Bank officials did not respond to our inquiries as at press time.

...say Gov’s sterling performance unprecedented

All the 54 traditional rulers that make up the Egba Traditional Council, on Wednesday unanimously endorsed the Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for a second term in office.

Announcing the endorsement in his palace, the President of the Council, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, hinged their support for the governor’s re-election bid on his sterling performance since he assumed office in 2019.

The Alake, who was surrounded by the other 53 monarchs, said Governor Abiodun has performed creditably well and therefore deserves a second term to complete the good job that he has started.

Oba Gbadebo noted that in the last sixteen years, governors in the state have serving two terms in office, stressing that, “Governor Abiodun, “having done so well, also deserves a second term”.

“The governor has done very very well. In the last 16 years. The last wo governors have done second terms, why our governor who has done so well, will not do a second term”? Alake queried.

While appreciating the governor for completing abandoned projects in Egbaland and helping to complete the Traditional Council’s Hall in the Alake’s Palace, he called on the state government to construct the road leading to the railway station in Abeokuta.

Also speaking, the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, said the entire people and traditional rulers in Egbaland are in full support of the governor’s second term bid, while the Olowu of Owu, Oba Saka Matemilola and the Agura of Gbagura, Oba Sobur Bakre, expressed confidence that the governor would perform better if given another opportunity.

Responding, Abiodun expressed his gratitude to the monarchs for confidence they have in his capacity to move Ogun to greater heights.

He said that his administration has been fair in the distribution of projects as well as appointment to all parts of the state.

While enumerating some of the projects executed in the Ogun Central Senatorial District, the governor said plans were on to finalize the concession, operate and transfer of the supposed 250 bed hospital to an international hospital management company that would complete and manage it.

“The hospital is a world class health care facility of excellence that will attract health tourism from all over the southwest and Nigeria.
We are working assiduously on the establishment of the Kajola Dry Port and Wasimi Export and Logistics Hub which will decongest Lagos port, thereby making it more efficient and further create an enabling environment for industries and manufacturers in Ogun.

“We will soon begin the urban regeneration of Ibara GRA and in Mowe-Ofada. We are completing or have completed all inherited projects that are of economic importance to our people in line with our promises”, the governor noted.

He described traditional rulers as the link between the Divine Being and the world; custodian of African culture who have assisted in maintaining peace in their various communities.

“I commend our Royal Fathers from the Egba Traditional Council who have continued to keep the flag flying for the progress and development of Egbaland and by extension, Ogun State. This endorsement of our candidature for another term of four years is another appreciation of our untiring efforts in developing all sectors of our State economy across the three senatorial districts of our state,” he pointed out.

Abiodun added that the endorsement is another affirmation of the progress the state has recorded in the last three and half years, emphasizing that the success story of his administration could not be documented without the support received from the people of Egbaland.

While saying that the endorsement would motivate him to do more, he pleaded with the people to play politics without bitterness, as politics is not a do-or-die affair.

The Information Security Society of Africa – Nigeria (ISSAN) has concluded plans to hold its annual cyber security conference with particular focus on how to check rising cyber-attacks on businesses.

The conference is scheduled for Tuesday 29th November 2022 by 9am. The hybrid event is open to players in the public and private sectors, including large corporates, Small and medium scale enterprises, educational institutions, government agencies and all stakeholders that are impacted by the cyber-ecosystem in any way. Members of the public are advised to join the conference via zoom .

It is instructive to note that ISSAN is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection of Nigeria’s cyberspace specifically and the entire cyberspace in Africa, generally.

ISSAN President, Dr. David Isiavwe said the conference with the theme: Cyber Security Imperatives for Business – Practical Considerations will be devoted to further expose the new threats and trends in the cyber security space and also offer practical steps on what businesses and individuals need to know and do to check the rising tide of the activities of cyber-criminals.

He observed that cyber attackers are getting more sophisticated globally, which is an aftermath of Covid 19 pandemic, stressing that greater awareness must be created to minimize attacks on businesses that may result in losses by various organizations.

In his words, “there is an urgent need to evolve a strengthened cyber-security system in Nigeria because of the growing digitalisation of the country’s economic and social interactions as people now work from home and anyone with a smart phone could hop into cyberspace from anywhere and attack nation-states, organisations, and individuals.

This means that the threat landscape has just expanded significantly across the borders of any organization or country. The first thing that ISSAN is doing is advocacy. We are engaging all key stakeholders to ensure that there is adequate and constant collaboration. Everybody must work together because the entire cyberspace is as secure as its weakest link”.

Further, Dr. Isiavwe who is also General Manager at Ecobank disclosed that highly experienced and subject matter specialists have been assembled to provide further insights on how the ecosystem can be better protected, noting that large sums of money are usually at risk in every successful attack.

Keynote address will be delivered by Director, Payment Systems Management, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Musa Itopa Jimoh and Director of IT, CBN, Mrs Rakiya Mohammed. The speakers include Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Digital Jewels Limited, Mrs Adedoyin Odunfa; Founder & CEO, Mint FT Innovative, Mr. Similolu Akinnusi; Chief Information Security Officer, First Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Harrison Nnaji and MD, Cybertech NX, Dr. Austine Ohwobete.

Others are Managing Partner, Technology Advisors LLP, Basil Udotai, Esq; Group Head, Customer Fulfillment Center, UBA, Mr. Prince Ayewoh; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Financial Services Limited, Mr. Stanley Jacob; Sales Director (Africa), OneSpan Europe, Mr. Nicholas Poire and Field CTO, OneSpan Europe, Mr. Dan Mcloughin.

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Home  Life and Styles

Life and StylesOpinionLooted Art and Legal restitution: The case of the Benin Bronzes -Kaine Agary

By

 Usman Kadri

 -

November 20, 2022

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The most topical issue in the art world as it pertains to Africa is rooted in antiquity.

In 1897, the British Army raided the Benin Kingdom in a so called “punitive expedition” following the killing of James Robert Phillips, a British official and others. The Oba of Benin, Oba Ovọnramwẹn Nọgbaisi was deposed and exiled, and members of the British Army set about pillaging the Kingdom’s cultural and religious artefacts, and artworks.

Some of the booty, collectively known as the Benin Bronzes, was auctioned off to cover the cost of the mission, some others ended up in private collections, and a sizable collection ended up in museums.

Over the years, pieces from the Benin Bronzes have dispersed across the world, ending up in private collections and museums in Europe and America.

A century and a quarter later, the Binis are still fighting to right the injustice done to them. They have called for the return of their artefacts for decades, but in the last decade or so, especially with the impressive cultural diplomacy of the Benin Dialogue Group with strong support from the current monarch, Oba Ewuare II, the tide seems to be shifting.

Institutions across Europe and the United States have either returned or pledged to return pieces of the Benin Bronzes in their collection. A few museums are resisting, citing extant provisions which permit the disposal of objects in its collection only in very limited circumstances.

While international law provides for the restitution and return of stolen art, the gaps in available laws mean that the Binis may have to rely not on law but on “good conscience” for the return of the Benin Bronzes. As evident in the actions in support of returning World War II era assets, such good conscience exists in the international community.

For many years, those who have resisted the calls have made the tenuous argument that the artefacts would not receive proper care if returned to Nigeria and other sites where they were stolen from. That argument is no longer tenable.

A New Home for the Benin Bronzes
The Edo State Government recently announced the imminent take-off of the Benin Cultural District. The District will be home to three prominent museums – the National Museum, the Royal Benin Museum, and the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA). While the State has committed funds for the refurbishment of the National Museum, and the Edo Museum of West African Art, these institutions remain susceptible to the commitment of future government administrations.

The Royal Benin Museum is conceived by the Oba of Benin and is intended to house the Benin Bronzes which are being returned piecemeal even though institutions from Germany to the UK and the US have committed to return nearly 1,400 pieces.

A consideration of the sheer number of objects to be returned, an estimated 5,240 objects tracked down to 131 separate collections in the West, bears out the wisdom in setting up a culture district and refurbishing older museums.

It also highlights the imperative of not-for-profit initiatives like the EMOWAA Trust’s Museum and surrounding facilities; one of which will provide extensive storage space and will serve as a research and education center. It will be a creative hub for contemporary creatives in Africa as well as a place to celebrate and study cultural heritage. EMOWAA will be owned and operated by a private trust, and has the support of diverse stakeholders including the Edo State Government, National Commission for Museums and Monuments of Nigeria, and others.

The Benin Bronzes will therefore have several homes upon return. All that is left is for those in possession of the looted cultural heritage of the Binis to come to the table with “good conscience” and work out the details of their return. And to facilitate this we have the example of the immense communal and private losses suffered by European Jews during World War II to guide us.

Reparation, Restitution, and Return
The law provides remedies to give justice to persons who have been wronged. These remedies are available for both civil and criminal wrongful acts.

The terms “restitution” and “return” have evolved over time and now represent two different concepts in the field of cultural heritage disputes. The distinction in terms recognizes the hardship in trying to use legal tools to settle these disputes. “Restitution” is available as a remedy to victims of a legal violation, namely fraud, looting, and theft.

With restitution, the victim is entitled to full restoration based on the wrongdoer’s gain at the victims’ expense i.e., the wrongdoer’s unjust enrichment. Restitution can be achieved directly by returning the objects of the theft or pillaging, or, where the object no longer exists, indirectly, by giving objects similar to what was stolen. “Return” on the other hand, refers to objects taken during the colonial era or those illegally exported from one country to another. While International law seems comfortable with the “return” concept, “restitution” seems a more difficult nut to crack. It involves a lot more legal technicalities on which a claim may fail.

The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Assets) Act 2009
On 12th November 2009, the United Kingdom enacted the Holocaust (Return of Cultural Assets) Act of 2009. The purpose of the Act, which applies to several national institutions, empowers an Advisory Panel constituted under the Act, to recommend and approve the return of victims’ property. The Act, which initially had a “sunset clause” that provided for the Act to expire after 10 years, was amended in 2019. The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Assets) (Amendment) Act 2019 removed the sunset clause, in effect committing to the purpose of the Act indefinitely.

These instruments show that good conscience and law go hand-in-hand. Where there is a willingness to act on good conscience, the law does not stand in the way of action in the pursuit of justice.

From “Good Conscience” to a new paradigm
As it stands, with very little help from the law regarding the return of the Benin Bronzes the other option is to rely on the “good conscience” of institutions and individuals who have pieces of the Benin Bronzes in their collection.

But beyond these, there are ongoing conversations on the continent around defining a framework for restitution. A powerful case in this regard was made recently by President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria in a Financial Times article where he riffed on accountability and action regarding the return not just of looted artefacts but also of illicit financial outflows.

According to the article, “In the case of both looted cultural heritage and stolen assets, western museums and authorities largely seem to agree that the loot should, in principle, be handed back. However, the technicalities of repatriation leave plenty of room for maintaining the status quo.”

Luckily, discussions around the subject of the Benin Bronzes have evolved from an outright unwillingness to return the property to its owners based on paternalistic arguments such as Nigeria’s (or the Bini’s) ability to be good stewards of the property to questions of finance and logistics. The issue of where the Benin Bronzes will go and how they will be cared for in Nigeria is no longer in question especially with the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) in the vanguard of ongoing negotiations on behalf of Nigeria.

Public and private initiatives like the Royal Benin Museum and EMOWAA have also provided answers to those questions.

*Kaine Agary is an NLNG award winner, newspaper columnist and IP lawyer.

Access Bank empowers Closa Agents with Solar powered fibre kiosks to boost financial inclusion across Nigeria


Access Bank’s commitment to deliver banking services to at least one in every two Nigerians has been reaffirmed as the leading retail financial institution successfully commissioned and empowered Access Closa agents across Nigeria with Solar powered fiber kiosks to support their business and boost visibility of their locations to provide more than banking services to both existing and new customers across the nation.

With the current number of Access Closa Agents spread across the 774 Local Government Areas in the country, the bank has significantly grown access to finance and banking services to millions of previously un(der) banked Nigerians, while providing alternate streams of income for MSMEs, promoting financial literacy, and advancing its ambition to bank one in every two Nigerians by 2025.

According to Rob Giles, Senior Retail Advisory, Access Bank Group, “The Access Closa network is a bespoke channel through which the bank expresses her passion and commitment to broadening the opportunities and access to financial services for every Nigerian and African, irrespective of the location they might be. Customers can locate a Closa agent near them by simply searching for ‘Access Closa Agent’ on Google Maps on their phone instead of walking long distances in search of a branch


Reiterating Rob’s statement, Chizoba Iheme, Group Head, Agency Banking and Financial Inclusion said: “The exponential growth of Access Bank’s agent network is in fulfillment of the Bank’s promise to ensure easier and safer access to financial services for every Nigerian. As a Bank driven by innovation, we must deliver better outcomes for customers in terms of speed, security, and service to enhance customer experience in all the locations that we operate.

“With over 160,000 Access Closa Agents spread across Nigeria, you can conveniently pay bills, send money to loved ones and deposit your existing Naira notes through an agent near you to avoid the risk of moving cash to a distant branch. Please click HERE to locate the Access Bank CLOSA agent nearest to you”

Access Bank, over the years, has leveraged technology including advanced analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics process automation to reform business operations and drive performance to improve customer experience. Please click HERE to view the list of Access Bank Closa Agent locations and how to become a CLOSA agent.

The Kogi State Government, on Thursday, accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of illegal harassment of state officials “over a bail-out fund the Commission tried fruitlessly” to prove was stashed in an account, despite a Court injunction restraining it.

The State Government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said, further to a Suit No. HCL/128/2021, filed by the Kogi State Government against the EFCC and other Defendants with respect to the said bail-out funds, “the Court issued an injunction on the 3rd of December, 2021, restraining the EFCC or its agents from inviting or arresting any Kogi State Government official or requesting for any documents in relating to the matter pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.”

Fanwo said despite the fact that the EFCC’s attempt to set aside the said order was refused by the Court and its appeal had not also been determined by the Court of Appeal, the Commission, in what the state government described as its usual gestapo manner, attempted to arrest the Cashier of the Kogi State Government House.

The Kogi government, in a statement titled: “EFCC Resumes Harassment of Kogi Government Officials in Violation of Injunction Restraining it From So Doing”, described the attempt as a clear and flagrant violation of a subsisting order by a competent Court of jurisdiction, saying it would challenge this latest action of the EFCC in Court.

“Orders of Court ought not be disobeyed, and never by an institution set up by Law to enforce laws,” it stressed.

“More ridiculous is the claim by the EFCC operatives that came to effect the arrest that they were unaware of the injunction. The question is, can the EFCC claim to be ignorant of an Order of Court which they have already appealed against the ruling, refusing to set same aside? To us, this is an attempt by an agency created by law to drag the rule of law in the mud and operate above the law,” the statement noted.

It added that the EFCC had clearly moved from fighting the Kogi State Government to disrespecting the Judiciary that is the last hope of the common man.

“The Government of Kogi State supports the anti-corruption agenda of the APC-led Federal Government and has strengthened her institutions to remain transparent and accountable, resulting in our yearly awards from credible agencies, including the World Bank on Fiscal Transparency and Accountability,” Fanwo stated.

…promises administration will fix more internal, external roads


The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Monday, commissioned the 2.35km Arepo-Journalists Estate Road, with a promise to continue espousing projects capable of making life more meaningful to people and residents of the state.

The governor, who described the road project as a remarkable one and his administration’s commitment to the provision of good governance in the state, noted that the completion of the road is a demonstration of his administration’s appreciation for the support of given by the people of Arepo Community.

While noting that genuine development should be people-oriented, Abiodun disclosed that the road leads to no fewer than 42 communities in Obafemi-Owode Local Government.

He recalled that he had promised during the electioneering towards the 2019 general election to fix the road if he was elected governor, expressing his delight that Arepo Road which had been in a bad state for years has finally been constructed.

The governor, who said the road was constructed with interlocking stones because of its swampy nature, added that other road furniture such as walkway, street lights and drainage, had been fixed on the road to make it durable and bring out its aesthetics.

Abiodun noted that the new road would reduce travel time, stress and vehicle maintenance of the residents of Arepo, declared that his administration would continue fix internal and external roads in the state, with a view to improving the socio-economic well-being of the people.

The governor added that the state government under his watch has embarked upon the construction of all arterial roads linking Ogun with Lagos state, emphasizing his administration is determined to raise the bar in road construction in few years to come.

“We are determined to raise the bar in road construction in few years to come. Our administration has has constructed most roads in Ogun Central, we will continue to look after the welfare of our people. We are determined to be fair and participatory; we will not development a section of the state at the expense of others.

“I want to assure you that we will complete all the uncompleted projects embarked upon by our predecessor in office, which have direct positive socio-economic well-being of our people, and we will continue to make life better for the people”, he submitted.

Abiodun, however, called on the residents of the community to take the ownership of the road, urging the youth not to be allowed to be used by the unscrupulous politicians before and and during the conduct of the 2023 general election.

Earlier, the Olu of Arepo, Oba Solomon Atanda Oyebi, thanked the governor for fulfilling his electoral promises by fixing the road which according to him had brought untold hardship on the residents.

On her part, the former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Council, Mrs Funke Fadugba, said that road completely cut off the Journalists Estate in Arepo, commending Governor Abiodun for ensuring the construction and completion of the road.

Meanwhile, the governor has assured residents of the Journalists Estate that his administration would embark on the construction of a modern primary health care centre to be completed in the next four months.

Abiodun while addressing the executive and residents of the estate at a parley after the inauguration of the Arepo Road, equally promised his administration’s support in the completion of the Civic Centre under construction in the estate.

The governor, however, called for the continued support of journalists in the quest of his administration to make take governance a notch higher.

Access Bank introduces Saturday Banking; encourages cash deposits on all its platforms, with no cash transaction charges

In response to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) announcement that it will redesign and issue new Naira notes beginning on December 15, 2022.

Nigeria’s leading financial institution, Access Bank, has urged its customers living in semi-urban and rural areas with limited or no access to bank branches or ATMs to use its agency banking channels, known as CLOSA, to deposit their existing Naira notes in order to beat the rush before the circulation of the new ones on December 15, 2022.

In a recent statement to its customers, the bank stated, “There is no need to panic, since we are closer than you think.” With over 160,000 Access Bank CLOSA agents and over 500 BETA agents located in over 180 major markets in Nigeria to take cash from customers, we are only a doorstep away.

Our branches will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in order to receive cash deposits from consumers that reside in urban areas.

With over 160,000 Access Closa Agents spread across 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria, you can conveniently deposit your existing Naira notes through an agent near you to avoid the risk of moving cash to a distant branch. Please click HERE to locate the Access Bank CLOSA agent nearest to you.

Whether you use our branches, ATMs, or point-of-sale (POS) machines to deposit your existing Naira notes, you can be sure that your money is safe with us and that you can always count on our speed, service, and security.

During the period of receiving your existing Naira notes, all cash deposits will be free. There are no fees associated with cash deposits. You can also pick up your debit cards for use at POS terminals and ATMs to make payments.

We urge all our esteemed customers to prevent the rush and hurry to deposit their Naira notes before the deadline of January 31, 2023, when the current Naira notes will cease to be legal tender.

For more information and assistance, kindly contact our multilingual customer care service on 07003000000 or email us at contactcenter@accessbankplc.com.

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Home  Entertainment

EntertainmentLife and StylesAn afternoon with the bronze artists of Igun Street -Terh Agbedeh

By

 Usman Kadri

 -

November 13, 2022

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Wisdom Ewaen Aigbe grew up around the art of bronze casting.

He could barely tell his left hand from his right when his father started to teach him the craft, and he never looked back. Now a grown man with his own family, he knows every aspect of the art. And that includes sourcing materials to form the figurines in wax and clay to casting figures that fascinated the colonisers so much they stole thousands.

“The Aigbe family to which I belong are from the Inneh family. That is the head of the Guild of Bronze Casters,” says Aigbe, who comes from a long line of bronze casters.

He is not just enthusiastic about his work; he is eager to speak about it and does not need a lot of prompting. Bare-chested on this cloudy Sunday afternoon on the iconic Igun Street in Benin, he is one of the few bronze casters at work. His brother Emmanuel and cousin are with him. They are working on the wax figures that will fill out the clay moulds into which the bronze will flow. There is a second workstation at the back of the house where men are putting the finishing touches to all kinds of bronze figures, large and small.

Aigbe, whose visage of cheerfulness speaks of his love for the craft, laments that young people have no interest in it.

“My great grandfather (was into) bronze casting; my great grandfather was a major caster in the palace,” he says, adding that back then, the Oba of Benin had the craftsmen working from within the palace but these days, he would commission them to either work at the palace or in their quarters at Igun Street.

Aigbe, who is aware, like the rest of the craftsmen on the street, that there is a groundswell of support for the return of the Benin bronzes taken away during the expedition of 1897, says the only difference between the looted artefacts and the ones being made today is that “our forefathers made those ones while we are the ones making these ones.”

According to him, since the great grand-child of Captain Phillips – famed for leading the ill-fated expedition in 1897 – returned a figurine in the shape of a bird used like a gong during festival times, it created a lot of awareness and people have been coming from overseas to buy the artefacts.

Speaking on how he feels about the return of the ancient artefacts, he says the fundamental truth is that he should feel happy.

“Before now we have been agitating for the return of the bronzes. We have been agitating. Press people have been coming, even the German TV came here to interview us. Some of the things we also discussed with them is the need to get those things back.” Aigbe says as he takes the reporter on a tour of the courtyard in his house where he keeps the finished works.

Some of the works lying on the cement floor are replicas of bronze pieces carted away as spoils of war after the infamous punitive expedition that sacked the palace during Oba Ovonramwen’s reign. The craftsmen, who said they have worked mainly from imagination, explain that it would be nice to see the originals.

“We are also doing our best to try and get (close to) the originals that were taken away when we produce new ones because most of those things, we only see them in pictures and we might not necessarily get the full details. But thank God that Benin people have been doing research to try and get the full details so that when we reproduce it, we are giving you the exact job,” he says.

Aigbe is not done. He has a word on what he calls the “controversy” over where the artefacts would be housed when they return. Should it be at the palace, the Royal Museum or the Edo Museum of West African Art (EMOWAA)?

“I feel very bad over the controversy that arose following the announcement of the return because it ought not to be so. I think it is just a communication gap between the government and the Oba… But I think they can iron out their differences,” he says.

Aigbe’s words are uncannily similar to those uttered by Prince Bamidele Obaitan, the Edo State Commissioner for Arts, Culture, Tourism and Diaspora Affairs later that afternoon.

“When you look at what Edo has to offer the world,” the Commissioner says in response to where the works should be kept upon return, “It is bigger than just the artworks. Yes, we have our artworks and the proposed museums that are going to come. There is room for plenty of museums. The Governor supports multiple museums. The bronzes are being returned from multiple countries of the world and we are happy about that. But to some extent, because they have been exposed to the world, yes, the world is interested in them and that is why it is really important right now that we must strike when the iron is hot.”

He says there is a lot of attention being given to these bronzes worldwide in the art circles and even in the entertainment circles, as everyone is focused on what is going on with these Benin bronzes.

“So, why don’t we leverage all this attention to bring people here? It is our responsibility and our duty to take control of the narrative and put it out to the world accurately. So, that is what we are going to do. We keep saying ‘Edo to the world,’ and we mean it”.

For Dr Victor Okhai, president of the Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN) and who is from Edo state the matter is dicey because building a museum is not the issue, it is sustaining it. “The current government may mean well, but the question is, when they leave, what happens? I fear that an incoming government may not catch the vision or that it may not be their priority. You may even get somebody coming in to say it is idolatory.”

His words echo concerns across the world. As such, it comes as no surprise that some prefer to keep these works abroad, rather than lose sleep over how such precious objects would be cared for in Nigeria. Independent platforms like EMOWAA may well be the answer as President Buhari noted in his well-received Financial Times op-ed where he noted that: “In 2025, a new museum will open to showcase the treasures of the Kingdom of Benin. Designed by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye, the Edo Museum of West African Art will sit in Benin City, the former capital of the Edo kingdom. But without the return of more bronzes held in the west, we may struggle to fill the museum.

With big plans to secure and care for these objects host public exhibitions and facilitate research and capacity building, EMOWAA proposes to address the very questions raised by the honourable Commissioner and president of the Directors’ Guild. Yet, until its take-off, the quiet debate on Igun Street continues.

Outside on the two and half kilometre stone-paved Igun Street which has been designated a UNESCO heritage site, milling visitors bask in the history and legacy of the bronze makers’ haven. Those who have come with money are disappointed to see that the shops are closed today on this street that is located a stone’s throw from the Oba of Benin’s Palace, the historic moat and the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre, a remarkable masterpiece designed and constructed by the artist and master builder, Demas Nwoko. Not far away is the Benin branch of the National Museum.

This is called the culture district but only in name for now, because it is obvious that without proper museums like the Oba of Benin’s well-intentioned Royal Museum and EMOWAA and well run souvenir shops the district will never fully live up to its potential.

“If to say we get better museums and proper shops, all this people wey wan buy something go see where to spend their money,” a young bronze maker from Aigbe’s shop says as he sees me off.

FBNBank UK, a member of First Bank of Nigeria Limited and Subsidiaries had London, the United Kingdom painted blue as it celebrated its 40th anniversary, themed Partnership Beyond Borders, on Friday, 11 November 2022.

The event which had customers, members of government functionaries and the diplomatic community, regulators, captains of industries in attendance, was convened to appreciate the patronage and support the Bank had received since it opened its doors in the United Kingdom 40 years ago.

As key stakeholders, they were instrumental to establishing the Bank as an important gateway to connect international markets in Africa, Europe and the rest of the world to the finest financial services solutions that the UK has to offer.

Guests at the event include Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola GCON, Chief Justice of Nigeria; Oba Sen. Dr. Moshood Olalekan Ishola Balogun, Alliiwo II, Olubadan of Ibadan land; Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola, High Commissioner, Nigerian High Commission, UK; His Highness, Muhammadu Sanusi II, former Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria.

Other dignitaries that graced the occasion include Alhaji Umaru Abdul Mutallab, Nigerian businessman and former Chairman of FirstBank; Mohammed Indimi OFR, Chairman, Oriental Energy Resources.

Delivering his welcome address to the dignitaries and guests present, Sam Aiyere, Chief Executive Officer, FBN Bank UK Ltd said: “Since its establishment, our Bank has demonstrated an unmatched dexterity, serving as a gateway connecting international markets in Africa, Europe and the rest of the world to the finest financial services solution that the UK has to offer. Through its office in the UK and the Paris Branch, our Bank has continued to facilitate international trade between Africa and Europe while offering top-notch, world-class corporate, institutional, and private banking solutions to our esteemed customers.

“We have recorded laudable achievement only because you stand solidly with us. Therefore, I dedicate the success of the past 40 years to all our stakeholders. Thank you for being the lever beneath our thrust,” he also added.

Appreciating the patronage and support extended to FBNBank UK, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, CEO, FirstBank said: “Today we celebrate 40 years of unbroken business operations in the United Kingdom; 40 years of supporting and enabling dreams; 40 years of resilience and relevance; 40 years of trust, safety and security; 40 years of long-term value to all stakeholders; and 40 years of partnerships beyond borders. I believe the future is bright for FBN Bank UK. With our beautiful outing tonight, our Group stands out, once again, as one big and happy family of many parts.

In his speech, Godwin Emefiele, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria highlighted that “FBNBank UK’s established presence in a leading global financial centre such as London ensures that FirstBank Group is well positioned to play an active role in the promotion of Africa as an investment destination, attract much needed capital to the continent and facilitate trade with other parts of the world.

The presence of FirstBank in other countries outside Nigeria shows that the span of its impact is continent-wide. As you are headquartered in the largest economy on the continent, you have a unique role in also facilitating capital flows into other African countries and assisting their economic growth and development.

In addition, in his goodwill message, President Muhammedu Buhari, GCFR, President and Commander-in-chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria said: “FirstBank has profoundly demonstrated a high level of nationalism by keeping the Nigerian dream at the heart of its business through constant evolution to birth agile financial services solution to suit the demands of its customers both home and abroad. Also, perhaps more than any other institution in its class, FirstBank has supported the Government by providing human resources at various times to booster much required professional expertise in various sectors of our economy.”

Established in the United Kingdom in 1982 as the London Branch of the First Bank of Nigeria Limited., FBNBank UK was initially established to service the UK banking requirements of Nigerian companies and FirstBank.

Later in November 2002, the Bank was incorporated in the UK as a registered and a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Bank of Nigeria Limited with offices in the City of London and has then developed into a much broader business in the gateway to Europe and beyond for African banks, companies and high net worth individuals.

CBA Foundation, a Lagos-based Not for Profit organization, has announced that Walk4Hope, its yearly five-kilometer-long walk charity sensitization event will take-off at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island on Saturday, November 12, 2022.

Since January 2016, Walk4Hope has been the highlight of a series of activities embarked by the CBA Foundation to sensitise the public on the plight and challenges faced by the underprivileged widows and their vulnerable children.

CBA Foundation has since been a bedrock of support to thousands of widows and their children across the country as donations received from individuals and organisations have been used to sponsor the education of children, promote the enrolment of widows in skill acquisition endeavors, provision of accommodation for victims of extended family abuse and rejection – following the loss of the husband of the bereaved widow, amongst others.

Achieving its impacts on the society is driven by five core areas including Women empowerment/capacity building, health, nutrition, quality basic education and self-employment scheme. This year’s Walk4Hope is billed to have over 200 persons from various walks of life.

Speaking on behalf of the foundation, Chinwe Bode-Akinwande, founder, CBA Foundation said: “CBA Foundation was created with the sole purpose of working with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, dehumanization, injustice, disease and discrimination placed on a widow and her child’s path”. She further stressed that the foundation launched the #CareIsAction campaign in recognition of the fact that care without action is not care at all.

“Every step counts! Every step you take brings us closer to offering hope to underprivileged widows and their children, she says, adding that CBA Foundation is dedicated to promoting the protection of widows primarily and their vulnerable children in Nigeria, to promote immediate and lasting hope, confidence and courage in their lives.

Registration for the walk is open to all and will start at 7.00am while the walk kicks off at 7.15am at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

About CBA Foundation

CBA Foundation is a registered humanitarian organization under the Corporate Affairs Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In 2015 to date, CBA Foundation has reached out to over 2,000 underprivileged widows and 100 children through Skill Acquisition training, Health Intervention, Business Start-Up, Clothing, Nutrition and tuition fees for the children.

Many widows are denied their rights, subjected to abuse and evicted from their homes because they lost their husband, no form of inheritance of property or land. Widows are forced into exploitative work to support themselves and their families. According to UN Women during the last International widows day – June 23, 2014 estimated 115 million widows currently live in poverty, and 81 million have suffered physical abuse, some from members of their own family. It has been observed by various studies that widowhood is an issue that affects more women than men.

Widows are more than victims; they are mothers, caregivers and heads of households. Widows of all ages and their children should be treated as full and equal citizens and their rights should be protected.

UN Women advocates for the empowerment of widows everywhere and supports this in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Part of our broader work in CBA Foundation is to set out to work in partnership with widows’ organizations so widows can live free of stigma and discrimination, with dignity, rights and economic independence, and have a voice in decisions that affect their lives in the household and the public sphere.

WHO WE WORK WITH:
Support group for Widows
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Through the Walk4Hope, CBA Foundation calls for stronger action to end widespread discrimination against widows.

For more information, please visit the official website

Keystone Bank Limited has debunked a statement credited to a political group, “TakeBackNaija Initiative”, which alleged that the Federal Government had ordered the closure of its accounts with the Bank for supporting the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.

In a statement issued by Keystone Bank Management and made available to newsmen on Monday, the lender denied the allegations stressing that at no time did the Federal Government or anyone order it to close the said account.

The Bank said it closed the account because “it was irregularly opened contrary to extant regulatory guidelines.”

“In line with applicable regulatory guidelines on treatment of such accounts with irregularities, funds received into this account have been returned to their sources of origin.

“While we recognize the right of every citizen of our country to freely associate in pursuit of common objectives, we also believe as an institution that is subject to supervisory regulations, it is imperative we act within the confines of prescribed guidelines in all our dealings.

“Keystone Bank is open to doing business with every Nigerian irrespective of background or beliefs. But we also owe the public a duty to conduct our business in a safe manner” the statement said.

Keystone Bank Limited has debunked a statement credited to a political group, “TakeBackNaija Initiative”, which alleged that the Federal Government had ordered the closure of its accounts with the Bank for supporting the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.

In a statement issued by Keystone Bank Management and made available to newsmen on Monday, the lender denied the allegations stressing that at no time did the Federal Government or anyone order it to close the said account.

The Bank said it closed the account because “it was irregularly opened contrary to extant regulatory guidelines.”

“In line with applicable regulatory guidelines on treatment of such accounts with irregularities, funds received into this account have been returned to their sources of origin.

“While we recognize the right of every citizen of our country to freely associate in pursuit of common objectives, we also believe as an institution that is subject to supervisory regulations, it is imperative we act within the confines of prescribed guidelines in all our dealings.

“Keystone Bank is open to doing business with every Nigerian irrespective of background or beliefs. But we also owe the public a duty to conduct our business in a safe manner” the statement said.

INVESTIGATION: How Delta gov, Ifeanyi Okowa awarded Nmulti-million contracts to sons-in-law, family members (1)


In a blatant and deliberate disregard for extant law, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta State and vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Okowa awarded state contracts to his sons-in-law and other cronies, this is according to an independent investigation by the Coalition of Investigative Journalists of Nigeria (CIOJ).

Recall that Okowa’s choice by Atiku as his running mate in the 2023 general elections has continued to tear the PDP apart. Surprisingly, the PDP at the Delta State level which Governor Okowa leads is also engulfed with intrigues and crisis over the governor’s choice of its gubernatorial candidate.

A comprehensive audit and investigation carried out by CIOJ on the administration of the Delta governor allegedly exposed massive corruption in the system.

The CIOJ is in possession of documents that demonstrate a pattern in what appears to be an alleged money-laundering scheme, where Governor Okowa arbitrarily awarded contracts to firms connected to his daughters, their husbands, and his close aides without following the proper documentation and procedures as stipulated by the Nigerian laws.

By law, Governor Okowa should not award contracts to companies belonging to his close relatives or serving government officials.

The document contains the 2020 audit of companies awarded contracts and payments made by the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa-led government, wherein it was discovered that a series of payments were made to specific companies without documented vouchers containing full particulars of each service such as dates, numbers, quantities, distances, and rates, all of which were invariably not supported by relevant documents such as LPOs, invoices, special letters of authority, timesheets, rates etc.

Gov. Okowa awards contract to first son-in-law
In one of the instances Governor Okowa allegedly ordered the payment of of N243,600,000 (Two Hundred and Forty-Three Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira) to VALUWORKS ENTERPRISES for the PROCUREMENT OF SECOND TRANCHE OF VEHICLES FOR TRADITION RULERS IN DELTA CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT.

It was observed that the fund for the procurement which was approved between 10/7/2019 to 30/7/2019 was fully paid.

The money released to the company, our investigation revealed, is the second tranche for the purchase implying that the sum of N243,600,000 or more might have been released to the company previously for the same purpose. This gives a total of N487,200,000 paid to the company.

Checks revealed that none of these contract awards was bidded for as stipulated in the procurement law.

Further digs by CIOJ, however, revealed that VALUWORKS ENTERPRISES is owned by GBOLAHAN MICHAEL-DARAMOLA, who got married to the governor’s daughter, MARILYN, in 2015.

VALUWORKS ENTERPRISES was incorporated in Abuja, Nigeria with registration number 2549452. It was registered on 24 October 2017 (two years after Governor Okowa assumed office) and its current status is unknown. The company’s registered office address is Flat 1, House 2, Silas Ilo Close, Guzape, Abuja.

…awards contract to second son-in-law
The PDP vice-presidential candidate also awarded a contract of N243,600,000 (Two Hundred and Forty-Three Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira) to SAVVY WORKS ENTERPRISES for the PROCUREMENT OF SECOND TRANCHE OF VEHICLES FOR TRADITIONAL RULERS IN DELTA NORTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT from the Directorate of Government House and Protocol account.

The money for the procurement was approved between 10/7/2019 to 30/7/2019 and was fully paid.

The money released to the company, investigation shows, was the second tranche for the purchase implying that the sum of N243,600,000 or more may have been released to the company previously for the same purpose. This also gives a total of N487,200,000 (Four Hundred and Eighty-Seven Million Two Hundred Thousand Naira) paid to the company.

Investigation by CIOJ revealed that SAVVYWORKS ENTERPRISES is owned by EHIMARIO UCHE IGUMBOR, husband of another of the governor’s daughter, MILDRED.

SAVVY WORKS ENTERPRISES was incorporated in Abuja, Nigeria with registration number 2549404. It was registered on 24 Oct 2017 (two years after the governor assumed office) and its current status is unknown. Company’s registered office address is Flat 1, House 2, Silas Ilo Close, Guzape, Abuja.

Another contract awarded to governor’s younger sister
In another alleged scheme to defraud Deltans, Governor Okowa, in 2016, handed over the Delta State Lottery Commission to a company, DIGITAL GAMING SYSTEMS, with the impression that the lottery commission is managed by an expert. But investigation by CIOJ revealed the company is owned by MARK STUART SHENTON, a Briton married to the governor’s younger sister, Ivana. More shocking is that SHENTON lacks even a year’s expertise on lotto business. The commission is, however, nothing to write home about. Recall the governor was accused of using Ivana as front for contracts awarded to North China Construction Company, the firm building the N16 billion state secretariat located along Okpanam Road, Asaba

Delta Govt. keeps mum
CIOJ contacted Mr. Charles Aniagwu, the Delta State Commissioner for Information for the governor’s angle to the allegations but there was no response as at press time.


NB: This is the first part of on-going series of investigations on the alleged corruption in the Delta State government led by Senator Ifeanyi Okowa

Terrorism: Kogi Govt asks security agencies to invite Natasha Uduaghan for questioning


The Kogi State Government has called on heads of security agencies in Nigeria to invite a Senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Mrs Natasha Akpoti Uduaghan, for questioning over alleged terrorism-related activities capable of dragging the state back to "the dark era".

The Government said despite heavy security interventions by the present administration to rid the state of terrorism, it was worried that politicians had deliberately continued to groom terrorists in the state as well as import them from neighbouring states.

In a statement by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, in Lokoja, the State Government alleged that Mrs Natasha Uduaghan had exhibited enough actions to be invited over terrorism-related activities, especially with the manner by which the PDP and organisations linked to Natasha had been advocating for the release of an arrested terrorist called Safiu.

"It is worrisome for the PDP that Natasha represents to come out openly to identify with Safiu, a terror suspect that is linked to the bloody attack on a church in Owo that led to the death of scores of worshipers. He is also linked to the dastardly attack on the Kuje Correctional Center as well as military formations within and outside of Kogi State.

"It was a thing of relief to the people of Kogi Central that security agencies were able to apprehend their Chief Tormentor. Criminality doesn't know political party. A criminal is a criminal and should be treated as such," Fanwo said.

He noted, "Prior to 2016, the Kogi Central Senatorial District was a terrorist den, with dangerous terrorist organisations having cells in the District and hundreds were maimed, many in broad daylight. The Government will not allow a continuation of the old order.

"The fact that they (PDP) claimed Safiu was their party member is an admission of strong links to him and his nefarious and deadly activities. As an administration, we are witnessing a surge in criminality in Kogi Central. Available data shows that Kogi Central today accounts for 51.2% of the total crime rate in Kogi State. With the billions of naira we have invested in strengthening our security architecture that has guaranteed peace in the state, we will not accept a revert into the days of bloodbaths.

"The Kogi State Government will not allow a marriage between terrorism and politics. Nigeria is doing everything possible now to win the battle against terrorism. Kogi State under Governor Yahaya Bello has won many awards in the area of security, the most recent being the one presented by the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, in recognition of how the administration has turned one of the most dangerous states in Nigeria to one of the safest states today.

"We call on security agencies to arrest defenders of terrorists and ask them their levels of involvement. No matter how smart they think they are, they cannot beat our robust security architecture."

The Kogi Government assured the people of the state of its continued commitment to securing their lives and property.

"Security agencies are doing a great job in Kogi State and we commend them for that. To get to the root of the last vestiges of terrorism in Kogi Central, there is a need to invite Natasha Uduaghan and her husband as well as PDP party leaders in Kogi Central to explain the rationale behind their vociferous defence of an arrested terrorist," the statement said.

"Do they have a contract with some terrorist groups to distabilize the state? Are they afraid that Safiu and other arrested terrorists will expose their dirty and bloody deals? What do they know about some terror cells in Kogi Central? They need to provide answers," the statement added.

from providing a space where the best of contemporary West African art will be on display, it will also be a center for research and capacity building for young artists. There will be shops where visitors can buy bronze works, thus providing income for the artists.

EMOWAA is also leading the charge regarding archeological studies and the digitization of artworks for safe and sustainable storage and archiving.

But there is a nagging question, will three museums not be too much for Benin City? We can find an answer in world capitals like London, which has more than ten; Victoria and Albert, Tate Modern, London museum, British Museum, National History Museum, Imperial War Museum, Design museum and more. New York has over twenty from the Museum of Modern Arts, the Guggenheim to the Frick, The Metropolitan Museum of Art to the American Museum of Natural History and others. In Berlin, there are over ten museums from the Hamburger Bahnhof to the German Historical Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Bode Museum, and the DDR museum, amongst others.

The point to be made is that with the coming of the Royal Museum, National Museum, Edo Museum and EMOWAA, Benin City is about to stake its claim as a bonafide culture capital of the world.

Toni Kan is a Lagos based writer

The annual financial statement of the National Petroleum Investment Services, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Commission, has revealed that the department spent a whooping N90 billion on public relations in 2021.

The audit report seen by Peoples Gazette detailed that the department spent N89,928,429,000 on media relations in 2021, representing an increase of 335 per cent against the N20.69 billion spent in 2020.

The report further detailed that the department spent N11.76 billion on consultancy, N2.22 billion on transportation and traveling cost, N65 million and N1.1 billion on advertisements and entertainment, respectively, in the year under review.

Spending this much money on public relations could be considered expensive in a country where over 95.9 million people live in extreme poverty as a result of high unemployment and overstretching of inadequate and poorly maintained infrastructure.

This is not the first time such a large sum has been spent on a less important component of the organisation. Dataphtye previously reported that NNPC spent a stunning N13 billion on entertainment expenses between 2020 and 2021.

The outlet detailed that the NNPC spent the sum of N11.831 billion on entertainment in 2021 while N1.636 billion was spent in 2020

This spending comes as the country continues to struggle to garner revenue from the oil sector, which has largely been drained by oil theft, with a recent expose revealing that the country was losing the majority of its oil earnings to coordinated theft.

The discovery of an illegal connection line into the sea from one of NNPC’s major oil export terminals that had functioned completely unnoticed for nine years, was recently reported.

Oil theft is estimated to cost Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil exporter, 600,000 barrels per day in lost revenue, with oil companies idling some fields rather than supply pipelines used by thieves.

…reports profit before tax of ₦169.7billion

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (“GTCO” or the “Group”) has released its Unaudited Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements for the period ended September 30, 2022, to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and London Stock Exchange (LSE).

The Group reported profit before tax of ₦169.7billion, representing an increase of 11.7% over ₦151.9billion recorded in the corresponding period ended September 2021. The Group’s loan book (net) increased by 2.2% from ₦1.80trillion recorded as at December 2021 to ₦1.84trillion in September 2022, while deposit liabilities increased by 6.4% from ₦4.13trillion in December 2021 to ₦4.39trillion in September 2022

The Group’s balance sheet remained well structured and resilient with total assets and shareholders’ funds closing at ₦5.81trillion and ₦872.8billion, respectively. Strong Capital Ratios and Asset Quality were sustained as CAR, NPL ratio, and Cost of Risk (COR) closed at 20.7%, 5.6%, and 0.2% in September 2022 from 23.8%, 6.0%, and 0.5% in December 2021, respectively.

Commenting on the results, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc), Mr. Segun Agbaje, said: “The Group’s 3rd quarter result reaffirms our strategy for long-term growth and underscores our capacity to deliver sustainable strong performance despite the volatilities in our operating environment.

“We have also kept in focus our vision of supporting small and medium enterprises specifically through our free business platforms to help them stay in business and expand their offerings. With our non-banking businesses fully operational alongside our core banking subsidiary, we are well positioned to maximise our earnings potential going into the 4th quarter of the year.”

He further stated: “In creating a thriving financial services ecosystem, our goal is to offer great experiences to all who interact with our brand whilst continually enhancing access to innovative financial solutions for individuals and businesses across Africa. We are appreciative of all our customers and other stakeholders who are with us on this journey of building a truly global African financial services institution.”

Overall, the Group continues to post one of the best metrics in the Nigerian Financial Services Industry in terms of key financial ratios i.e., Pre-Tax Return on Equity (ROAE) of 25.8%, Pre-Tax Return on Assets (ROAA) of 4.0%, Full Impact Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of 20.7% and Cost to Income ratio of 45.1%.

GTCO Plc is a fully-fledged financial services group with banking operations across West and East Africa and the United Kingdom as well as non-banking businesses in several key industry segments including payment, funds management, and pension fund management.

With ₦5.8trillion in assets and over 28 million customers, the Group remains one of the most profitable and best-managed financial services companies out of Nigeria providing commercial banking services and non-banking financial services across eleven countries.

Its leadership in the banking industry and efforts at empowering people and communities have earned it many prestigious awards over the years including Best Banking Group in Nigeria and Most Innovative Bank in Nigeria at the 2022 World Finance Banking Awards. It also retained its position as Africa’s Most Admired Financial Services Brand in the 2022 ranking of The Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands.

Access Bank is rewarding its loyal customers with cash rewards and other reward items up to N1 billion for funding, transacting, maintaining, and increasing their deposits from October 2022 to November 2023 through the Access Winfest campaign.

The essence of this campaign is to promote a savings culture and efficient banking among Nigerians using alternative channels.

According to Victor Etuokwu, Deputy Managing Director, Retail, North, Access Bank, “Over the past two decades, Access Bank has continued to grow in every dimension, particularly its customer base, due to customers like you whose patronage, advocacy, and loyalty have remained unparalleled.”

At Access Bank, we care most about how happy our customers are, and we hope to find more chances like this one to make their lives and the lives of many other Nigerians better.

We have a total reward of N1billion naira for you, our customers, whether you are a student, a business owner, a salary earner or an entrepreneur. Many lucky customers will receive cash rewards from the bank ranging from N5,000 to N5,000,000; airtime rewards; grocery baskets; Salary4Life; rent for a year; business grants; educational support; and many other types of rewards.

To get on board the winning train, simply increase the balance on your account , carry out transactions using our USSD code *901# and the accessMore app to pay bills, send money to loved ones, buy airtime, and make international money transfers, among other things.

Rob Giles, a Senior Retail Advisor at Access Bank, recently told the media at the campaign’s launch in Lagos that the idea behind it is to keep the bank’s promise to reward customers for their loyalty and continued business.

He also emphasized that it is simple to participate in the ‘Fund and Win’ campaign and be eligible to win between N5,000 and N5,000,000. Simply save up to a minimum of N25,000 or more every month in your savings or business account to earn a chance that qualifies you for a chance to win N5,000,000.00. You can also be one of the 1,000 lucky winners of N5,000 monthly. For every N25,000 you save, you get a ticket for the Mega draw and increase your chances of winning the grand prize in the ‘Fund and Win’ campaign.”

Rob’s words were echoed by Adaeze Umeh, Group Head of Consumer Banking at Access Bank. She said that the rewards campaign is just one of the many ways the bank adds value and meets the needs of its most loyal customers.

She also mentioned that Diamond Business Advantage (DBA) customers with outstanding monthly fees are not left out as they can fund with the equivalent of their accrued fees to enjoy a 100% waiver and stand a chance to be among the lucky 1,000 customers to win N5,000 in the monthly draw and qualify to win N5,000,000.00.

Apart from funding and maintaining accounts to qualify for the draw, customers who perform at least five (5) fee-earning transactions weekly will also qualify to win N5,000 monthly. Customers with an account balance below N1,000 can fund their accounts with a minimum of N2,000 to get their debit cards and transact at least five (5) times a week to qualify to win N5,000 monthly or the grand prize of N5,000,000.00.

Adaeze concluded her statement by highlighting that customer who already have or open a domiciliary account and fund it with at least $100 (or its equivalent) will also be eligible to win the grand prize of N5,000,000 and N5,000 in the monthly draw; this offer is available to both existing and new customers.

To get more information about the reward campaign, kindly visit any Access Bank branch close to you.

…refutes media reports on sale of assets

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday honoured the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, with a distinguished award for security management across the states at the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service, held in Abuja.

Since assumption of office on Jan 27, 2016, Governor Bello has been widely commended for his onslaught against crimes and criminality in Kogi, which has made the state the safest in the North and one of the safest in the country today.

Governor Bello received the award just as the Kogi State Government debunked, in strong terms, media reports that it was considering selling some state assets to finance the reconstruction of the State House of Assembly Complex razed down by fire on October 10, 2022.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja, on Friday, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the statement credited to the State Commissioner of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Idris Asiru, to the effect that the State Government wants to sell some Government properties to raise funds to rebuild the complex was “a deliberate misrepresentation”.

He said: “The media space has been awash with stories that our Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning said the State Government was considering selling some assets to rebuild the burnt Assembly Complex. This is an unfortunate misrepresentation of what the Commissioner said at the event.

“The Commissioner said if there was a need to sell other Government properties to rebuild the Assembly, Government would gladly do that. It was a statement to underscore the importance our Administration attaches to the legislative arm of Government in the state. Twisting that to mean the Government is planning to sell the assets of the state to rebuild the complex is a sentimental knife in the heart of our transparency and accountability as an administration.

“No Government official said anything like what the media quoted the Commissioner to have said. It didn’t come from the Government or any official of Government. What was alleged to have been said is not the position of the State Government on the matter.”

Fanwo said it was a general practice for government to sell non-performing assets, insisting that Governor Yahaya Bello would not rely on “revenues from state assets to rebuild the State Assembly Complex”.

“The media is a respected Institution and our progress partners in the New Direction Government. We will continue to harp on the need for the media to always act in tandem with the ethics of the profession,” he said.

Bello assures of transparency, accountability


Kogi State has received its first derivation allocation as an oil-producing state.

Governor Yahaya Bello disclosed this during the State Executive Council meeting on Thursday, assuring the people of the determination of his administration to continue to record more wins for Kogites.

He said his administration had recorded many giant strides in the sectors covering the thematic areas of his New Direction Blueprint, adding that the “derivation allocation will make us do more for our people”.

Governor Bello said: “I am elated to announce to the good people of Kogi State that my administration has received our first derivation allocation as an Oil Producing State. This announcement is in line with my administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability, for which we have received many awards.

“We worked hard to make this history. But we wouldn’t have achieved it without the support of our people, who stood resolutely with us to make this see the light of the day. We also wish to express our gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for his leadership roles as well as the RMAFC for making this a reality.

“Let me reiterate this to the people of Kogi State that my promise to make their resources work for them is iron cast. We will build more schools, hospitals and construct more roads. We will empower our youth and women. Under my watch, we will ensure security."

Addressing pressmen after the State Executive Council meeting, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the derivation allocation came at a time the State Government was building legacy projects across the State, stressing that the Governor would ensure “judicious use of the derivation allocation”.

"The Governor has once again proved that he is a goal getter with the tenacious manner he defended the interest of the state to be listed as an Oil Producing State. History will remember him for this feat," he stated.

Also, the State Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiru Idris, said the administration would continue to put in place more “people oriented projects”.

Kogites are elated with the full status of Kogi State as an Oil Producing State and have expressed confidence in the capacity of the Yahaya Bello Administration to deliver more democracy dividends to the people.

The Kogi house of assembly has summoned BUA Group, a cement manufacturing firm, over a 50,000-hectare land it acquired 10 years ago — but is allegedly yet to pay for.

The house issued the summon on Monday at a public hearing of one of its ad-hoc committees held in a hotel in Lokoja due to the recent fire incident at the assembly complex.

Alfa Momoh-Rabiu, deputy speaker of the house, read the summons following a presentation from Salihu Mustapha, acting surveyor-general of the state.

“We are having problems with the BUA Group over 50,000 hectares of land it acquired in 2012 and even obtained a certificate of occupancy (C of O) but has not paid a kobo for the land,” Mustapha had said in his presentation.

“We have written to the group several times but it has not responded to any of the letters.

“No compensation has been paid to the communities that own the expanse of land.’’

Umar Tenimu, the ad-hoc committee’s chairman, said it was an offence for BUA Group to hold the land for more than 10 years without paying for it.

He said the company should be summoned to “come and explain why it refused to pay for the land and why it refused to compensate the community involved”.

Mustapha added that if BUA Group refuses to pay for the land and compensate the community, the government shall revoke the certificate of occupancy.

According to NAN, Sunday Ogieva, a corporate communications official of BUA, said he could not comment on the issue when he was contacted.

Meanwhile, Kogi state is currently in a heated battle with Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) over the ownership of the Obajana Cement Plant.

You can read more about the dispute here, here, here, and here.

...says 'it's fight to the finish'


The last has not been heard of the Kogi-Dangote face-off over the ownership of the Obajana Cement Plant as the Kogi State Government on Friday resolved to drag Dangote Cement Plc to court and reclaim what rightfully belongs to the people.

The decision to go to court was taken at an emergency meeting on Thursday night between key government officials, led by Governor Yahaya Bello and stakeholders representing the different ethnic groups in the state.

A statement signed by the Hon. Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said that, at the meeting, which ran into the early hours of Friday,  all stakeholders resolved to head to court in the interest of the people and generations to come.

He said the Governor made it clear to the House that there was no going back on the state's resolve to reclaim its asset, even while he sued for calm in the interest of peace.

"This struggle is not about Governor Yahaya Bello or his administration. It is about the people of Kogi State. In the last 72 hours, well meaning Nigerians, leaders and government officials have waded in and have pleaded with the Governor to consider reopening of the plant while discussions are ongoing.

"The expectations of the over four million Kogites are clear and high and we want to assure them that the Governor and the Government of Kogi State will not compromise the interest of the people of the state to reclaim their rights in the cement company.

"There were series of high powered meetings to resolve the impasse, including meetings having the Governor and Alh. Aliko Dangote in attendance. Discussions were held and statements of interest were established. But there was no agreement yet as some desperate parties are trying to promote in the media to mislead the public. We shall be non-violent in our approach as we are sure of green pathways to success for the people in this battle for the economic future of our dear state.

"However, we maintain that the collective asset of the people of Kogi State must be protected and reclaimed in this instance. And that is the process the government has started. We will fight this battle to the end until we get justice from the courts. No committee can resolve this dispute," the statement reads.

A foremost Pan African business magnate  and social entrepreneur, Ichie (Dr) Nnaeto Orazulike has been conferred with a national honour in the rank of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) by the president, Muhammadu Buhari at the 2022 National Honours Award investiture ceremony which held yesterday in Abuja.

The honour is in recognition of Ichie Orazulike’s selfless service to humanity and contributions to the growth of the country. Speaking at the award ceremony, Mr. President listed the criteria as consistent and meaningful participation in community and/or national development. He also listed remarkable achievement in any field of expertise where the person’s activities in that field has made significant contributions to the attainment of national goals and objectives.

Ichie Orazulike who is a Non-Executive Director of Ecobank Nigeria having been appointed in April 2022, is the founder and Group Managing Director of Genesis Group, a proudly Nigerian conglomerate with interests in Restaurants, Cinemas, Hotels, food production and Oil and Gas services and production.

He is a graduate of the University of Nigeria, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree and an alumnus of Harvard Business School Executive Training Program. He was awarded the prestigious Honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University of Port Harcourt in 2015.

In 2021, he won the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) 60- anniversary awards for his exemplary role in the entertainment and hospitality sector. He has won many awards at national and state levels.